"I was on such an unhealthy spiral down, full of regrets for the past and fears of the future. Now I have a whole new way of looking at things, and a sacred mission to keep boosting my strengths and share my love. Key to this process is a new paradigm of wholeness. Rather than continuing to live just in my head, I am bringing more heart and spirit into my approach now. Trusting my gut feelings and intuition helps guide me forward as I try not to overthink things.

I'm now fully recovered after my tumultuous year with 2 surgeries related to cancer, so now I get to pick up my retirement where I left off but with a much healthier body, mind and spirit." 

craig hubbell

"Nothing has ever stopped me in my tracks like my Cancer diagnosis. The old cliché, that it happens to other people not to me.

I really had no idea where to turn to, but I knew I needed help. I had a couple of sessions with a psychologist and with a grief councillor, but neither of them ‘got me’. What I wanted was someone who could clear a path through all of the fear and uncertainty and help me to get a plan in place if I was going to have any kind of future.

What has evolved out of a beautiful working relationship is more than all those things. She is my cancer guide, captain hand holder, a set of safe hands and a cheerleader all in one.

This journey has lots of up and downs and she is there to meet me, no matter where I am at.

I believe mindset is critical to my ongoing health and Gisele has been instrumental in keeping me on course, even when I personally felt less than sure. I needed assistance from someone who walked the walk. Luckily, I found Gisele.

I highly recommend Gisele. She is compassionate, caring and has a great sense of humour, which for me is important."

Jannine Gearon

"Most of us have heard the saying that the words no one wants to hear are “you have cancer”.

At the time of receiving my diagnosis my gastroenterologist was fumbling around trying to break the news to me.  I cut him off and told him I had it.  I knew.

And so began the journey ….

I am now, 18 months later, in self-declared remission.

On this journey I have had a plethora of opinions, views, advice, emotions, stupidity, and every other way to describe interactions with and reactions to others ……. along with rivers of tears.

At the start, many people wished me well and said how I am a fighter and would win.  I am a fighter but wasn’t so sure about winning.  But at the time I was determined to give it everything and on my terms.

This was something that took my dear oncologist a bit of time to get his head around.

Over the first few months it was a blur of activity and emotions as I commenced a hard-core chemo treatment option.  I needed to show cancer that I was serious about this fight.

I was slated to have surgery in between two chemo cycles.  Then, when at my lowest point emotionally in between cycles, I received news from my surgeon (who has been magnificent) that he couldn’t justify the surgery and, contrary to medical practice, we went into a holding pattern.  To be followed by routine testing over the subsequent 15 months. 

It was during that time I was stimulated to seek mental help on the journey to recovery.  Early on, I had many people tell me to engage a psychologist.  I did not need to be told how to accept death.  I wanted a coach to help me fight the long game as I became increasingly confident of winning the short game against my foe. 

Gisele and I then went on a journey that is too long, complex and private and possibly a bit boring for a reader of this post.  Suffice to say, it has been an awakening that has led to a self-realisation that in turn has led to a series of significant changes in me and to my thinking.

I have set my personal goals for the times ahead.  My number one priority is simply to be a better person.  I have so much more to give, and I want to selflessly do this as much as possible.

My hitherto cancer diagnosis has changed me on many fronts.  Why it takes something like this I don’t know.  But I am not going stress that rather rejoice in that good that has come to me.

I dedicate this piece to the generous people who have given me the strength, friendship, medical guidance and life skills to come out alive and better for it.

I think of those people who are diagnosed every day and how their worlds get thrown upside down as happened to me.  I would so dearly love to be able to help them and from here will do whatever possible wherever the opportunity exists.  Where that is not possible, I can only pray for them as best an atheist can.

Yesterday I had my portacath removed.  The line is in the sand.  Today I am on the first day of my new old life.

I don’t know what will happen from here.  But none of us do.

A pessimist might say that relapse is inevitable and it is a shame to have spent 61 years in my old self. 

I am an optimist and say I am going to live to 90 in my new old self and look forward to every day from today.

From the cancer experience comes the love I will make."

KEDE CARBONI

"Thank you Gisele for the opportunity to share a little of Warren's journey so to support those with cancer as well as, I hope, those without cancer.  Warren, is my late husband, so yes, sadly he didn’t survive the cancer journey, yet it was to be his journey of coming home.

Warren was diagnosed with an aggressive rare eye melanoma in February 2022(6/1,000,000 people). This was treated, we thought successfully, but the cancer had spread to his liver come September 2023.  Upon diagnosis of the metastases, Warren was given 6 months if he did nothing and 16 months if he followed the conventional pathway of trials and that would likely see him confined to hospital very unwell. 

Instead, Warren decided to follow a route we were certain was divinely orchestrated, as one door closed another opened, he never doubted his ability to heal physically, we thought he would be the first one, he survived 18 months and only became really unwell for the last 2 months.  We travelled the world for these 18 months in pursuit of the elusive cure.  We rode the rollercoaster of clinics, the sometimes improved blood results, the supposedly stable or regressing scans, another new clinical protocol, another diet modification, another healing modality, always keeping us hopeful and spurring us on. 

We know now that Warren’s journey became one of spiritual healing and it was an amazing journey for us to experience together.

Warren first started coaching with Gisele in March 2022 soon after his primary diagnosis, he was referred by Dr Carol Haddad whom had first come into our lives during my own cancer journey in 2019.  Carol was then our first “go to” and opened a network of support for us both.  I obviously survived and now consider my journey to be the warm up for Warren, he just opted for the “accelerated” program, in his younger years he often said he was “here for a good time, not a long time” yet it was a big surprise when his voicing become a reality.

Gisele supported Warren in recognising and valuing his unique gifts and encouraged him to share these with others, she helped him reconcile and forgive the many betrayals in his life opening the opportunity to heal on all levels; he developed a sense of self-worth, worth that was already so obvious to others, yet not valued by him; the love received by Warren from others in turn enabled him to love himself; the illness meant he needed to accept help from people and relinquish control which deepened his humility.  Warren had a direct line to source, he was hugely empathetic, selfless and could sense unease in people, his quiet ways and wise few words changed lives, his generosity is continuing to save lives and the ripples are immeasurable.  He developed a heightened sense of urgency and achieved much in his last 3 years. In his words he “added colour to his canvas”.

I find peace in knowing that Warren fulfilled his soul contract, being self-love and humility, it wasn’t necessary for him to stay on earth any longer, although it was what we both dearly wanted and hey in the scheme of things another decade or 2 wouldn’t really matter eh; I know his spirit energy is now part of the universal oneness, there is no separation, his gifts are amplified no time no space; he is part of me, part of my God spark, I feel him in my heart; I have come to accept that his passing is also part of my journey and our journey continues together, this gives me the strength to build on the foundation we have thus far created and were passionate about expanding, I want him to keep experiencing the beauty of human life through my life.  In realising this, Gisele has been of great support to me then and now also.  I can feel writing this piece now is helping me, that Warren is with me, while he was very private I think he is happy for me to share part of his story here with you, if you have come this far you are listening.

Could we all have done more? Maybe, probably. More research, earlier interventions, even less carbs, while he should have had that glass of red wine too.  Reflecting after, I do wish he had been able to accept that his time was nigh as getting closer I think he knew, so enabling him to rest moreso amongst his dearest for his end days and perhaps there would have been a few less days as a result, the will to survive is a powerful thing; sadly he felt he was disappointing us, failing us, he was disappointed in himself too; this would have enabled us to love him without pressure, but his character was such that he never relented, never gave up, and no-one wanted to be seen to be giving up on him too, and so it was until there was nothing left, yet in “that moment” he found peace and completion.

We are both grateful for our 41 years, we are not grateful for the cancer experience, yet we are grateful for the deepened connection to spirit, self and others that it gave us.  A cancer journey sure enables you to find your keepers and they are not always those whom you would expect. Acceptance in its many facets is a powerful lesson.

My message here is that healing takes many forms, that it is important to have faith that our time on earth will transpire just as it should, loosen your grip on the wheel, trust that your life experience is as it should be and live your life from the consciousness of love, be love, be open to possibility, have courage, know that we are always together, all of us and no matter what.  Warren at the end said it was “only love”. 

So I share this now with only love and pray you may find healing, strength, peace and acceptance in your own unique journey, that you see something of yourself and those you love in my words and that you may also realise that your journey is integral to the journeys of those who choose to journey with you, love Carol Quertier."

CAROL QUERTIER

I am deeply grateful to everyone who contributed here from such a place of authenticity, vulnerability, courage and generosity. Thank you for sharing your very personal experiences.  To those who have read this page, may you find your own courage, power, humility and acceptance that the cancer journey nurtures through the words shared by Liz, Leah, Craig, Jannine, Kede and Carol.

Gisele